


I Am Strong

by Uwu_Lucky



Category: Sky: Children of the Light (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Drowning, Headcanon, Hurt/Comfort, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Starvation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:08:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26808643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uwu_Lucky/pseuds/Uwu_Lucky
Summary: "Sir Rhythm?""Yes Sir Enchantment? Do you need something from me? I'm busy so make it quick.""I was just wondering... well, if you don't mind answering for me... how did you die?The sound of a pencil hitting stone was his only response.-------Listen, this ship is underrated and I love it, we need more content of it. Also here we have angst and a little headcanon I randomly came up with for this story.Also there is no character tag for Rhythm.
Relationships: Enchantment/Rhythm
Comments: 1
Kudos: 60





	I Am Strong

**Author's Note:**

> Just a fare warning that there will be descriptions of drowning and also starvation as Mr.Rhythm talks about both Sir Enchantment and his own deaths.

Enchantment watched as the leading spirit of the season of rhythm wandered around the ark. He would stop and examine something before jotting something down on a clipboard he held in one hand. Enchantment followed him to make sure he didn't stir up any trouble, even though the ark was closed off today because the Krill was too close for it to be safe for the sky kids, he didn't want to take the chance that Rhythm would do something stupid just to annoy him later. After having checked out everything he felt he needed to Rhythm finally acknowledge the presence of the other spirit.  
"So tell me Enchantment, how have things been going around the ark?" Rhythm asked looking up to the slightly taller man.  
"Things have been going well. I continue the routine of closing down the ark when the sky kid activity draws the Krill too near. I make sure everything stays stocked and cycled regularly every day. I even make sure the crabs aren't too riled up in the caves," Enchantment listed off the things he has been doing as of late to keep the place safe and operational for even the newer sky kids who happen upon the place.  
"Good, good. So things are going well then?" Rhythm asked.  
"Yes, things are perfectly fine here," Enchantment watched as Rhythm continued to write and he got curious. Rhythm always had so much to do he never really took time to himself to relax or just rest. Every time he saw him he was working on something. Check up on this, adjustments on that. It was a constant work load. It had to reach an end a some point, right? One spirit can only do so much.  
Enchantment looked closer at the spirit standing in front of him, but he couldn't read anything off an expression because of the mask he wore. It annoyed Enchantment a little bit, but he would have to get answers by asking.  
"Rhythm?"  
"Yes?"  
"Aren't you tired? Or even stressed? You've been doing so much work lately, even more than before. I understand, a new season starts in two days but... I think you could use a break," Enchantment voiced his concerns about his, somewhat friend's health.  
"Worrying about me Sir Enchantment? That's a little unlike you," Rhythm stopped writing for a moment to look at him, "are you sure you're feeling well? You forget that we are spirits. We don't need to worry about our health anymore. Don't mind me saying this but... we are dead now, we lived our lives, we don't have a need for health anymore."  
Enchantment knew he was right, they were dead, but Rhythm was referring to physical health, this made Enchantment look at this from a different angle. Mental health. Rhythm seemed to be overworking himself and he's willingly taking more jobs as time goes on... it's almost as if he's trying to give himself less time to think of things other than work... other than work... That's it! Rhythm what putting so much on his plate to avoid thinking about something! Enchantment was happy to have figured this out, but that happiness was short lived as he realized that there was really only one thing that could be upsetting Rhythm so much.  
Enchantment felt a wave of empathy wash over him. Both him and Rhythm were dead, but unlike himself, no one knows how Rhythm died. His Troup may know, but no one else. Rhythm was using work to push it down so he wouldn't have to think about it, or seem like he needed someone to support him. He's not okay, he's upset. It seemed a little wrong to do but, Enchantment decided to tread into this unknown territory, to try and help.  
"Sir Rhythm?"  
"Yes Sir Enchantment? Do you need something from me? I'm busy so make it quick."  
"I was just wondering... well, if you don't mind answering for me... how did you die?  
The sound of a pencil hitting stone was his only response. It was deathly quite, the only thing they could hear was the cackling of the krill in the distance. Rhythm was silent, before he slowly shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to push away the memories.  
"No... no... you don't just ask questions like that. You don't just ask how someone died," Rhythm's normally upbeat tone was now low and maybe even angry, but Enchantment was set on helping him.  
"I know, but I'm concerned about you. I could tell, you were doing so much to distract yourself, but that's not okay. It's okay to need help you know, to talk about what's bothering you."  
"It's not like you. You had a similar experience to the spirit in the forest, the one who got trapped and had to watch as her friends passed away one by one. You've had to experience something horrible, mine was just a little mistake... an accident. Make sure you're fine first. I'll be perfectly okay, just let me get done what needs to be done and everything will be okay," his voice wavers as he spoke, he reached down to pick up the pencil but Enchantment was faster. He snatched the pencil before Rhythm could grab it and he slipped it into one of his sleeves.  
"Hey, give it back, I have things I have to do, I can't stand here and quarrel with you like sky kids fighting over an Ikemen," Rhythm held out his hand and motioned for Enchantment to return the pencil to him.  
"I'm not going to let you go until you tell me what's wrong," Enchantment argued.  
"I don't have time for this Enchantment! Give it back! I have to go."  
"Not until you spill the beans," Rhythm stomped his foot and held out his hand again.  
"Give. It. Back... Now," his voice was low and he seemed to be giving Enchantment a venomous glare from behind the mask.  
"Rhythm, one day you're going to crumble and break at the least opportune moment. It could be in front of the elders, in front of a swarm of moths, anywhere... if you don't do it here. Everyone has a limit... but no one knows where that limit is until they cross it. Distracting yourself will only work for so long, now tell me... what happened?" Rhythm couldn't look Enchantment in the eye, he looked down at the old ship he stood on but made another motion with his hand to try and get the pencil back. When it was obvious that he wasn't getting the pencil back his arm dropped to his side. He was still for a moment before his shoulders shook for a moment. He was trying not to cry.  
"Rhythm... do you... do you need a hug?" Enchantment asked this question carefully. Rhythm hated being touched by others, mostly sky kids. Enchantment was expecting to be brushed off but was suprised when he saw a small nod from Rhythm. Enchantment slowly removed Rhythm's mask because he was crying so that he wouldn't dirty it. Rhythm was still not looking up at Enchantment so he couldn't see his face, but he was fine with it. There was a more pressing matter at hand.  
Reaching out Enchantment pulled Rhythm into a gentle bear hug, and that was all it took to break the dam. What were once small sniffles were now full on sobs as Rhythm clutched onto Enchantment for dear life. Years of pent up emotion and trauma all came flooding out in that moment, and Enchantment couldn't do much else but simply be there for him. He had no idea what has happened to Rhythm. Enchantment took the clipboard still clitched in Rhythm's hand and sat down with Rhythm on his lap so he could put it on the ground to the side.  
Enchantment sat there with him, allowing him to cry while providing some comfort.

"Death is a traumatic experience Rhythm. You shouldn't keep something like that to yourself for so long. Tell me what happened," Enchantment stroked the man's back as he spoke, trying to calm him down enough to speak.  
"It's... it's stupid. I'm strong, I'm supposed to be... strong. It was just an... an accident. A dumb accident," Enchantment tightened his grip on Rhythm.  
"Just because you may have made a mistake, doesn't invalidate you from the help you need. Now tell me... what happened," Rhythm stayed silent for a moment and Enchantment thought he wasn't going to speak. If he didn't he wouldn't push further. He would be content simply to provide comfort.  
"I... I drowned," there it was, "me and the others liked practicing on a secluded frozen pond in the Valley. The ice was thin that day but we didn't know, we didn't bother to check. While I practiced a dancing routine... the ice... it cracked. I was so scared I couldn't move, I was looking at everyone else and they didn't know what to do. They told me to walk towards them slowly but... the ice broke. I fell in... the freezing water, it hurt, it was so cold, too cold. I couldn't move, I was in shock, I sank lower and the others couldn't get to me... eventually I... I had to breathe, but when I did all I breathed in was... w-water. My lungs burned, it hurt so much. It was so cold and dark, I was alone... so very alone. Even when I became a spirit I didn't have the strength to get out... it took years when eventually the troup came to get me as spirits," Enchantment listened to his friend's story and held him close as he continued to cry, but it slowly started to calm down.  
"I was alone, so alone... no one came to get me... no one knew I was there." "It's okay, you're fine. Drowning... it's a horrible experience that I wouldn't even begin to picture. You have every right to feel like this... Why don't you stay here with me for a little bit, I think you deserve some rest," Rhythm nodded into Enchantment's shirt and he continued to provide comfort to his friend. Yes, Enchantment did have to witness his friends passing one by one, but they had each other... Rhythm had no one there for him when he died. He was alone, scared, and cold at the bottom of a frozen pond.

Alone, Rhythm was very alone for a long time. Thinking about how Rhythm must have felt, the fear, pain, isolation. It made Enchantment feel absolutely horrible about being so rude to Rhythm and pushing him away. Yes Rhythm was annoying and seemed to crave attention, but now he has an explanation for it. He had to apologize.  
"Rhythm... I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you all the time. You were annoying to me, very annoying and self centered... but I think a lot of those times you were just needing someone to acknowledge that you were there. Now that I know this I'm not going to insult you as much anymore," that made Rhythm chuckle through his crying.

"But... if you wanted attention why annoy me? You have the troup, other spirits, even the sky kids. The sky kids would happily give you attention! So why was I always the one to get the annoying little bird at my doorstep?"

"Who are you calling a little bird? I'm not little, I'm taller than the sky kids!" Rhythm was starting to act normal again and he was calming down, although Enchantment assumed that he was forcing himself to do it, and not that he was actually feeling better.  
"Rhythm your the shortest of the guides, I am allowed to call you little. You also dodged the question."  
"Question? What question?" Rhythm started to fidget with the hood that draped over Enchantment's robes. He was nervous for some reason, and that's not a common occurrence at all.  
"Why you always choose to annoy me over anyone else. We could be in a room with plenty of other people and you would head straight for me, I've always wondered why I must be the one to receive your remarks," Enchantment looked down at Rhythm who still refused to look him in the eye, and he continued to fidget with Enchantment's clothes.  
"Sir Rhythm?"  
"I'm not going to get away with lying am I?" He asked.  
"No, no you're not," at that, Rhythm sighed almost sadly before leaning forward and putting his forehead to Enchantment's chest.  
"I know you hate me... I'm sorry. I've done nothing but make you mad because I can't stand having people ignore me," Rhythm started to cry a little again and Enchantment continued to provide comfort.  
"I don't hate you, a little annoyed by you, but I don't hate you."  
"You will hate me."  
"What makes you say that?"  
"Because... I like you... a lot," Enchantment grew a little skeptical.  
"... as... as friends?" Rhythm was silent, he held onto the cloth like a lifeline.  
"Rhythm I kind of need an answer." Rhythm took a deep breath in before speaking again.  
"No... not as friends. More," Enchantment sat there, unmoving with Rhythm in his arms. He had to do something, but he wasn't sure what. Rhythm stayed still and silent, waiting for rejection. If he was still alive his heart would be racing. Enchantment had a lot to think about in that moment and that moment was too long for Rhythm because he started to push away. When Rhythm tried to leave Enchantment snapped out of his stupor and made a split second decision.  
Grabbing onto Rhythm he pulled him back down onto him and held him closer than before. Rhythm let out a startled honk at the sudden motion and was about to push away again when Enchantment started messing with the ponytail on the back of Rhythm's head.

"H-hey, what are you doing?" Rhythm asked as the taller man undid Rhythm's perfect ponytail, "I spend a lot of time styling that!" It seemed like Rhythm was going to complain more when Enchantment started to run his fingers through Rhythm's hair. This made him go quite, and he just sat there confused. After a couple minutes of the sudden physical affection, Rhythm finally snapped out of his stupor and spoke again.  
"Sir Enchantment? This doesn't exactly answer many questions," while Rhythm still believes that Enchantment rejected him, Enchantment was actually very confused about the situation. Did he like him? Why did he suddenly pull him back down and pet him? Based on his actions alone Enchantment finally came up with an answer.  
"Well... I'm not sure yet, but... I am willing to give it a try," at his words Rhythm pushed back to look Enchantment in eyes. He was a little disappointed that he still had his mask on but that was his choice, masks are important to spirits and sky kids alike.  
"Are you serious? You aren't joking?" Enchantment laughed and shook his head.  
"No, I'm not. If it means you stop annoying me I'll give it a try."  
"Hmph, is that all you want from this? How rude," Rhythm crossed his arms and looked away dramatically wich earned another laugh from Enchantment.  
"Well, now you will have to treat me as a lover, no?" Rhythm blushed and looked away, as if suddenly remembering what happened.  
"Right, yeah... okay," Enchantment laughed again before hugging Rhythm again.  
"It will be fine, if it doesn't work out don't worry. You can still come to me for help."  
"Thank you Enchantment."


End file.
